The Boston Red Sox have signed Garett Whitlock to a four-year extension that could end up being six years, the team announced Sunday.
Here are four thoughts on Boston’s recent deal.
A low-risk, high reward complicated deal
Whitlock’s deal is quite complicated. But, to make it as simple as possible, it’s a four-year deal (2023-2026), before the Red Sox have a pair of options (2027, 2028) in years that he’d usually become a free agent.
The max deal if he hits all of his incentives is a six-year deal worth $44.5 million.
If Whitlock hits no incentives and Boston doesn’t use his two options, he’ll earn just $18.75 million. It’s a low-risk, high-reward deal for the right-hander that will stabilize the pitching staff for years to come.
Quite the Rule 5 draft pick
For a Rule 5 draft pick, he’s pretty good — right?
Friday’s outing probably proves he’s probably not just a one-year wonder as well, though the low-risk deal was likely due to him only having one year of major-league experience.
Future starter?
With Chris Sale out of the rotation and James Paxton not coming back until late in the season — around when Sale came back last year potentially, it was a possibility that Whitlock slid into the rotation.
But, the team chose 42-year-old journeyman Rich Hill for the No. 5 spot over Whitlock, and Whitlock slid into his usual high-leverage bullpen spot.
Whitlock could slide into a rotation spot in the future, but currently, he’s too valuable to Boston’s bullpen to do that. But, if the rotation is hit with another injury, it will likely be either him or Kutter Crawford to take over in the open fifth spot.
They got it done; at least for somebody
After failed extension attempts for Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers who both aren’t willing to discuss during the regular season — as Aaron Judge is — the Sox were able to get one deal done.
It also was by far the lowest-priced out of the three too though.
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